Classic Car Collectors Should Be Stunned by Steve McQueen’s Iconic Porsche Deal

Classic car enthusiasts should be absolutely amazed by the recent sale of Steve McQueen’s legendary Porsche, a deal that has sent shockwaves through the world of high-end car collecting. The spotlight is on Jerry Seinfeld’s Porsche 917K, specifically chassis 022, which isn’t just any rare car—it’s the exact Porsche driven by Steve McQueen in the famous 1971 movie Le Mans.

This car is a symbol of both film history and automotive excellence, making its recent sale a major event in the classic car market. The details of the sale are somewhat mysterious, but they reveal a lot about how the ultra-valuable classic car market operates.

The story of this car’s sale began when it was listed at Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee 2025 event. There was a lot of excitement as the bidding started, but things took an unexpected turn when the bidding stopped at $25 million, resulting in the car not being sold. While this might seem like a disappointment, it was actually part of Seinfeld’s well-thought-out plan to get the best possible price for the car and to generate as much interest as possible.

At first, some people were surprised that Seinfeld chose Mecum Auctions instead of more well-known auction houses like RM Sotheby’s or Gooding & Company. However, this decision was strategic. Seinfeld had formed a partnership with Dana Mecum, the founder of Mecum Auctions, to use the auction as a way to promote the car on a global scale. The goal was to attract serious buyers who might prefer to negotiate privately rather than participate in the fast-paced and sometimes chaotic environment of a public auction.

After the auction ended without a sale, private negotiations took place behind the scenes. These talks led to a successful deal with an anonymous buyer, who now owns this iconic Porsche. While the exact price hasn’t been revealed, Seinfeld has confirmed that it was around $25 million. This shows that the marketing strategy worked perfectly, achieving the target price even though the car didn’t sell during the auction.

This sale is a huge deal in the world of classic car collecting. The Porsche 917K is already famous for its incredible performance and its connection to Steve McQueen’s Le Mans, but the fact that chassis 022 is the actual car used in the movie makes it even more special and valuable. To put this into perspective, another Porsche 917K, chassis 024, which was also used in Le Mans, sold for $14.08 million in 2017. The sale of chassis 022 for around $25 million blows that figure out of the water and could set a new standard for how much Porsches are worth.

This sale also sheds light on an interesting trend in the high-end classic car market: some buyers prefer to keep things private. The fact that the final buyer and the exact sale price remain unknown highlights this preference for discretion. Seinfeld’s approach shows a deep understanding of how this market works, turning what might have looked like a failed auction into a highly successful private sale. This deal has left collectors and car enthusiasts wondering what other rare and historically significant cars might come up for sale in the future and what creative strategies sellers might use to get top dollar for these automotive treasures.